An internship is a chance to try out a prospective career and to gain professional work experience. This is an opportunity to see if your interests match your experience. You can work with professionals and gain day to day knowledge of your field.

Where do I find information about specific internships?

Start with a discussion about your internship interests with your faculty advisor, other faculty in your major department or a career counselor. You can visit the Mills College Career Services website to review online internship lists. If you are interested in a particular organization, visit their website directly, and/or you may want to see if a Mills' alumna is affiliated with the organziation and conduct an information interview with her.

What if I am not a junior or senior?

If you are not a junior or senior you can still get an internship. You will not be able to receive credit for that internship, but it will be good experience for future employment.

Are there distinctions between internships besides major field?

There are different types of internships ranging from paid to unpaid as well as summer internships.

Internship Deadlines For Academic Credit

"Luck is a combination of opportunity and preparation!"

Schedule appointments with Career Services and with your academic advisor to discuss your internship early, preferably during the semester preceding the actual internship.

Complete both the Internship Job Description form and the Petition for Academic Credit form, including all required signatures!

Submit the Completed Internship Job Description and Petition for Academic Credit forms directly with the M Center not later than the day before the last day to add classes each semester.

Please note: If planning a summer internship for credit to be applied to your fall record, check with Career Services for the exact date of the deadline (usually late April or early May).

Think about your career goals. An internship is a chance to try out a prospective career, and to gain professional work experience. If you are unclear or confused about career direction, discuss this with a career counselor and your advisor. Self-assessment to help determine career direction is often helpful.

Review internship opportunities by reading Internship Job Descriptions and other resources in Career Services. Search for others on the Career Service's internship website, including their link to NACElink. Make a list, by name of the organization, of all the internships that interest you. Don't be selective now, narrow later when you have more information.

Make an individual appointment with a counselor in Career Services, and bring your list with you. Develop a plan for contacting all prospective internship employers.

Attend a Resume Workshop and develop a professional resume.

Follow Internship application procedures exactly as each employer requests. You may call directly, and ask for an interview if there are no specific application instructions. Most of the time, you will be asked to send a resume and cover letter, followed by a screening process and an interview.

Prepare for your interviews. Attend an Interviewing Workshop with Career Services or make an appointment for a Mock Interview.

Decide which internship best meets your needs. Get an Internship Job Description form and a Petition for Academic Credit in the Career Services Office if you want academic credit for your internship. Ask your prospective internship employer to complete the job description, if this has not already occurred.

Complete the top portion of the Petition for Academic Credit. Make an appointment with your faculty advisor. Discuss your internship plans and obtain necessary signatures.

File your Internship Job Description and Petition for Academic Credit (completed and with all signatures) directly with the M Center by the deadline.

Academic internships must be conducted through off-campus organizations outside of Mills College.

Academic internships must be approved in advance by a faculty supervisor, your faculty advisor, and the Academic Standing Committee. Approval is not granted retroactively.

Academic internships are graded pass/no pass only and must be contracted for one full unit of academic credit.

Each student may receive credit for two internships. It is permissible to receive both units of credit in the same organization if:

The duties and responsibilities performed in the internship are substantially different; and

A different person supervises each internship.

Students receive one unit of academic credit and must work a minimum of ten hours per week for fourteen to sixteen weeks. Note: Summer interns must work a minimum of 160 hours.

Interns must attend required internship meetings at the Career Services Office and complete a final evaluation of their internship experience to receive credit.

A course overload (more than 5 course credits) during the internship semester is not permitted.

The content of an academic internship must:

Be a professional experience; that is, work one would assign to an entry level college graduate (clerical duties are not considered professional and may never comprise the majority of a student's internship assignment.)

Work experience must provide students with a substantial body of specific information and/or identifiable technical or professional skills.

A faculty supervisor must provide on-going monitoring of the internship. Faculty may select assignments which provide the best academic complement to the internship experience. This could include: reading assignments, a written description and critical assessment of the internship, keeping a written journal, regular meetings, and other exercises.

Students are required to submit a written summary report of their internship experience to their faculty internship supervisor no later than the last day of instruction. Summer interns must submit by the 1st day of instruction the following fall. The paper should be a minimum of five pages.

It is the student's responsibility to see her faculty internship supervisor to keep him/her advised of her progress.